In 1 Kings 1:33, where was Gihon and why did David instruct Solomon be taken there to be anointed?

Question

1 Kings 1:32-33:

"2 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:" (KJV)

If a public ceremony was the only point of Solomon's anointing as the next king, why would he have to be taken out of the city to Gihon? What was there about Gihon that was necessary for the anointing of the king?

Answer 1

'Gihon' is Hebrew word that means 'to burst forth' or 'to gush'. It was that name of the spring that supplied water to the tabernacle and temple complex that Solomon later built. 2Chronicles 32 records how Hezekiah took counsel to contain and reroute this water supply so that the invading king of Assyria could not use it. You can walk through that tunnel today, and today that tunnel is within the borders of the modern city of Jerusalem.

The mouth of Gihon in David's day was outside the city walls of Jerusalem - but just barely. It was still in the vicinity of Jerusalem. David ordered Solomon to be anointed there because of the symbolism that accompanies springs. They support life. They are cleansing. They are refreshing.

In addition, 1Kings1:39 shows how Zadok took oil from the tabernacle to do the anointing. David also chose this place because it was close to the tabernacle which held some of the items they would need for the ceremony.

Answer 2

Gihon was by this time included in a walled enclosure which effectivley made it part and parcel of the City of David. More importantly, David had erected the tent there for the ark because it marked the ancient site known as HaMakom--The Place--and was where the temple was to be erected (not up the hill where the alleged Temple Mount stands). Interested parties might like to see the Blog page at my website www.until-we-see.com for additional info.

IAN HEARD, Sydney, Australia

Answer 3

Gihon is mentioned in Genesis as the name of a river that encompasses the whole land of Ethiopia. The answer that Jack said:

'Gihon' is a Hebrew word that means 'to burst forth' or 'to gush'. It was that name of the spring that supplied water to the tabernacle and temple complex that Solomon later built. 2 Chronicles 32 records how Hezekiah took counsel to contain and reroute this water supply so that the invading king of Assyria could not use it. You can walk through that tunnel today, and today that tunnel is within the borders of the modern city of Jerusalem"

is not the right answer because this argument "the spring that supplied water to the tabernacle and temple complex that Solomon later built. 2 Chronicles 32 records how Hezekiah took counsel to contain and reroute this water supply so that the invading king of Assyria could not use it" was mentioned after King Solomon's coronation. Solomon himself built it and named it after Gihon. Even the sense of the chapter, contextually, tells that it was a long journey down to Gihon, not to a nearby city. In addition, David was the king of Jerusalem, but Solomon was coronated in front of the King of Gihon who was that king? How could there be two kings?

Answer 4

Seventy-five feet below the Gihon Spring was Melchizedek's temple, where Zadok the priest anointed Solomon. From Melchizedek we have Hebrew word Melek, which means "king" and Zadok which means "righteousness", so it appears there is a connection of Zadok/Priest to Melchizedek. Melchizedek’s Temple was the only temple in Jerusalem to EL ELYON, the Most High God. Solomon was anointed with olive oil and at the recently found Melchizedek’s temple was a room with an olive oil press. It is also important to note there was another priest, Abiathar was to anoint Adonijah.

Answer 5

In Axum City, Ethiopia, which is a little far from the so called Gihon, there is a King's building or statue that represents the blessing (anointing?) of Abraham by Melchizedek, and is considered where the the blessing took place. In Ethiopian literatures the name Gion is available at large scale since the ancient time as to present day.